How the Neanderthals managed to survive the harsh Ice Age is still an unsolved mystery for scientists. Until 2018, it was known that they adopted several strategies to survive, including group hunting for big game, co-parenting, and food use. New research, published in the scientific journal Quaternary Science Reviews, proves that Neanderthals survived to a greater extent by caring for one another.
The study was conducted by professors from the University of York. According to them, due to active hunting and the risk of running into predators, injuries were an integral part of the life of Neanderthals. If they neglected the wounded and treated them as an unnecessary burden, they simply would not survive. As a rule, Neanderthals kept in groups, and the loss of even one member was considered a disaster.
To prove their claim, the researchers examined the remains of 30 Neanderthals. The samples showed moderate to severe wounds, which, according to paleontologists, were subsequently healed. The likelihood that the wounded could survive without outside help is extremely small.
A good example is the Neanderthal man found in the Shanidar Cave. He, being blind in one eye, was deprived of his right arm and wounded in the leg. Despite this, he was still alive even in his 40s, which was a good result by Stone Age standards. Also noteworthy is the remains of a Neanderthal man called La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1, which survived overt manifestations of osteoarthritis.
Researchers also think that Neanderthals had their own obstetricians. Difficult childbirth may have been frequent due to the shape of the pelvis and the size of the infant's head.
It is believed that different methods were used to treat the wounded, depending on the severity of the injuries. For example, severe injuries such as a broken leg required relocation of the bones, careful hygiene, and in some cases prevention of blood loss.
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In future studies, the authors of the work want to find out in more detail what methods of treatment were used by the Neanderthals. They also wonder at what time they began to show concern.
Ramis Ganiev
